A USER's MANUAL Part 1: How Is Halakhah Organized?
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Halachic and Hashkafic Issues in Contemporary Society 91 - Hand Shaking and Seat Switching Ou Israel Center - Summer 2018
5778 - dbhbn ovrct [email protected] 1 sxc HALACHIC AND HASHKAFIC ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY 91 - HAND SHAKING AND SEAT SWITCHING OU ISRAEL CENTER - SUMMER 2018 A] SHOMER NEGIAH - THE ISSUES • What is the status of the halacha of shemirat negiah - Deoraita or Derabbanan? • What kind of touching does it relate to? What about ‘professional’ touching - medical care, therapies, handshaking? • Which people does it relate to - family, children, same gender? • How does it inpact on sitting close to someone of the opposite gender. Is one required to switch seats? 1. THE WAY WE LIVE NOW: THE ETHICIST. Between the Sexes By RANDY COHEN. OCT. 27, 2002 The courteous and competent real-estate agent I'd just hired to rent my house shocked and offended me when, after we signed our contract, he refused to shake my hand, saying that as an Orthodox Jew he did not touch women. As a feminist, I oppose sex discrimination of all sorts. However, I also support freedom of religious expression. How do I balance these conflicting values? Should I tear up our contract? J.L., New York This culture clash may not allow you to reconcile the values you esteem. Though the agent dealt you only a petty slight, without ill intent, you're entitled to work with someone who will treat you with the dignity and respect he shows his male clients. If this involved only his own person -- adherence to laws concerning diet or dress, for example -- you should of course be tolerant. But his actions directly affect you. And sexism is sexism, even when motivated by religious convictions. -
Understanding the Major Branches of Modern Judaism May 10, 2012
Understanding the Major Branches of Modern Judaism May 10, 2012 Initial terms: 24 or 72 kinds Torah/Talmud (oral/written law).Halacha orthopraxy/orthodoxy, haskalah Babylonian Talmud kabbalah, Sephardic, Ashkenazi (with material gleaned from Wikipedia articles- no access to my books yet) Modern Judaism is loosely broken into three main branches: Orthodox Judaism is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin ("Oral Torah") and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. Orthodox Jews are also called "observant Jews"; Orthodoxy is known also as "Torah Judaism" or "traditional Judaism". Orthodox Judaism generally refers to Modern Orthodox Judaism and Haredi Judaism (Chasidic Chabad) but can actually include a wide range of beliefs. Orthodoxy collectively considers itself the only true heir to the Jewish tradition. The Orthodox Jewish movements generally consider all non-Orthodox Jewish movements to be unacceptable deviations from authentic Judaism; both because of other denominations' doubt concerning the verbal revelation of Written and Oral Torah, and because of their rejection of Halakhic precedent as binding. As such, Orthodox groups characterize non-Orthodox forms of Judaism as heretical Reform Judaism is a phrase that refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.[1] In general, Reform Judaism maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and compatible with participation in the surrounding culture. Many branches of Reform Judaism hold that Jewish law should be interpreted as a set of general guidelines rather than as a list of restrictions whose literal observance is required of all Jews.[2][3] Similar movements that are also occasionally called "Reform" include the Israeli Progressive Movement and its worldwide counterpart. -
Download Ji Calendar Educator Guide
xxx Contents The Jewish Day ............................................................................................................................... 6 A. What is a day? ..................................................................................................................... 6 B. Jewish Days As ‘Natural’ Days ........................................................................................... 7 C. When does a Jewish day start and end? ........................................................................... 8 D. The values we can learn from the Jewish day ................................................................... 9 Appendix: Additional Information About the Jewish Day ..................................................... 10 The Jewish Week .......................................................................................................................... 13 A. An Accompaniment to Shabbat ....................................................................................... 13 B. The Days of the Week are all Connected to Shabbat ...................................................... 14 C. The Days of the Week are all Connected to the First Week of Creation ........................ 17 D. The Structure of the Jewish Week .................................................................................... 18 E. Deeper Lessons About the Jewish Week ......................................................................... 18 F. Did You Know? ................................................................................................................. -
Zeraim Tractates Terumot and Ma'serot
THE JERUSALEM TALMUD FIRST ORDER: ZERAIM TRACTATES TERUMOT AND MA'SEROT w DE G STUDIA JUDAICA FORSCHUNGEN ZUR WISSENSCHAFT DES JUDENTUMS HERAUSGEGEBEN VON E. L. EHRLICH BAND XXI WALTER DE GRUYTER · BERLIN · NEW YORK 2002 THE JERUSALEM TALMUD Ή^ίτ τΐίΛη FIRST ORDER: ZERAIM Π',ΙΓΙΪ Π0 TRACTATES TERUMOT AND MA'SEROT ΓτηελΡΏΐ niQnn rnooü EDITION, TRANSLATION, AND COMMENTARY BY HEINRICH W. GUGGENHEIMER WALTER DE GRUYTER · BERLIN · NEW YORK 2002 Die freie Verfügbarkeit der E-Book-Ausgabe dieser Publikation wurde ermöglicht durch den Fachinformationsdienst Jüdische Studien an der Universitätsbibliothek J. C. Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main und 18 wissenschaftliche Bibliotheken, die die Open-Access-Transformation in den Jüdischen Studien unterstützen. ISBN 978-3-11-017436-6 ISBN Paperback 978-3-11-068128-4 ISBN 978-3-11-067718-8 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-090846-6 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-067726-3 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-067730-0 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. For This work is licensed under the Creativedetails go Commons to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Attribution 4.0 International Licence. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Das E-Book ist als Open-Access-Publikation verfügbar über www.degruyter.com, Library of Congresshttps://www.doabooks.org Control Number: 2020942816und https://www.oapen.org 2020909307 Bibliographic informationLibrary published of Congress by the Control Deutsche Number: Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek DeutscheThe Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data detailedare available bibliographic on the data Internet are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. -
Congregation Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park
CONGREGATION EITZ CHAYIM OF DOGWOOD PARK 661 Dogwood Avenue, West Hempstead, NY 11552 www.ecdp.info April 25-May 3, 2019, Nisan 20-28 5779 Pesach SCHEDULE OF DAVENING/SHIURIM Thursday – April 25, 2019 Chol Hamoed Pesach 5th Day of Omer Eruv Tavshilin / No She'hechiyanu at Candle Lighting Shacharit....................... 6:15 & 8:30 am Daf Yomi...................... 7:30 am Chol Hamoed Learning... Following 8:30 am Shacharit in SB’M Candle Lighting.............. 7:26 pm Mincha/Maariv............... 7:00 (Beit Medrash) and 7:30 pm (Main Shul) Friday – April 26, 2019 7th Day of Pesach / 6th Day of Omer No She'hechiyanu at Candle Lighting Shacharit....................... 7:30 & 9:00 am Latest Shema................ 9:26 am Youth Groups................ 10:00 am Mincha.......................... 2:00 pm Daf Yomi...................... 6:35 pm Candle Lighting.............. 7:27 pm Mincha.......................... 7:35 pm Maariv Not Before.......... 7:45 pm Shabbat, April 27, 2019 Acharon of Pesach / 7th Day of Omer Shir Hashirim Yizkor Shacharit....................... 7:30 & 8:45 am Latest Shema................ 9:26 am Youth Groups................ 10:00 am Yizkor Not Before.......... 10:15 am Mincha.......................... 2:00 pm Women’s Pesach Shiur.. 5:55 pm at the home of R. Schwalb, Topic “Haggada and Sippur - The Seder Takeaway” Daf Yomi...................... 6:20 pm Mincha.......................... 7:20 pm Seudat Hamashiach....... 7:45 pm Maariv........................... 8:28 pm Yom Tov Ends.............. 8:36 pm Sunday, April 28, 2019 Earliest Talit/Tefil........... 5:03 am Daf Yomi...................... 7:00 am - by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow Shacharit....................... 7:50 am Mincha/Maariv............... 7:35 pm Weekdays – April 29-May3, 2019 9th-13th Day of Omer Daf Yomi..................... -
TORAH INSIGHTS for a MODERN AGE by DAVID ROTENBERG
TORAH INSIGHTS FOR A MODERN AGE By DAVID ROTENBERG Integrated Studies Final Project Essay (MAIS 700) submitted to Dr. Mike Gismondi in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts – Integrated Studies Athabasca, Alberta August, 2013 Table of Contents Abstract ………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………... 5 Essay One: Joseph vs. George – A Modern Look at Faith ………………….. 11 Essay Two: What’s in a Name? ……………………………………………….. 18 Essay Three: Talk to Strangers ………………………………………………... 23 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………… 29 References ………………………………………………………………………. 34 2 ABSTRACT Today’s Jewish community features very different demographics from previous generations’ due to large sections of the population being unaffiliated, non-observant, or “Modern Orthodox”. As a result, any efforts to reconnect the unaffiliated and/or reach these other segments of the community for spiritual direction and Torah education must be targeted in new strategic ways. This project employs both the scriptural and comedic knowledge of its author, Rabbi David Rotenberg, a semi-professional stand-up comic, to develop contemporary Torah insights targeted at a modern audience. The project focuses on lessons applicable to three of the 54 weekly portions of the Chumash (Five Books of Moses), Vayigash, Kedoshim, and Emor, each developed as an independent essay, although numerous additional relevant sources are also discussed. Each essay establishes an accepted understanding of the relevant Torah concepts, rooted in the text and traditional commentaries. This conventional thinking is then challenged with original questions, and comedic sources are introduced as a form of unorthodox commentary. The essays conclude by demonstrating a connection and revealing the newly-inspired message. 3 Through the substantive content yielded by the integration of humour sources with Biblical content, the original query – whether new Torah insights could be developed to appeal to a modern audience – can be answered in the affirmative. -
Fooling the Tax Collector
Schachter, rosh yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan In introducing a new metaphor — that Theological Seminary (RIETS) at Yeshiva citizens of a modern democracy are more University. “It is important to note that today like partners than subjects — into formalized the basis for taxation is totally different from Jewish legal thinking, Schachter has taken what it was in talmudic times.” According to a a first important step in opening up an en- contemporary understanding of Jewish law, we tirely new vista from which to think about ought to ground the obligation to pay taxes not the legitimacy of taxes and the responsibility SHMA.COM in the anachronistic notion of dina d’malchuta of partners to participate in public policy dis- dina; rather, we should invoke the talmudic cussions. In this alternative view, it is not us concept of shutfim or partnership. Schachter versus them, but rather “we the people” who concludes, “All people who live in the same must formulate fair tax rules and just public city, state, and country are considered ‘shut- policies. It follows directly from Schachter’s fim’ with respect to the services provided by new formulation that as Jewish partners in that city, state, and country. The purpose be- this process, we have a unique right and obli- hind the taxes is no longer ‘to enrich the king’ gation to bring to our fellow citizens the best in the slightest.” (Torahweb.org) of Jewish legal and ethical thinking. Fooling the Tax Collector: Why the Rabbis Once Approved DAVID BRODSKY abbi Naftali Tzvi Weisz, the Spinka Luke 3:12, 5:27–30, 7:29, 7:34, 15:1, and 18:9– Rebbe of Boro Park, and the great-great- 14), just as the Mishnah associates them with Rgrandson of R. -
CCAR Journal the Reform Jewish Quarterly
CCAR Journal The Reform Jewish Quarterly Halachah and Reform Judaism Contents FROM THE EDITOR At the Gates — ohrgJc: The Redemption of Halachah . 1 A. Brian Stoller, Guest Editor ARTICLES HALACHIC THEORY What Do We Mean When We Say, “We Are Not Halachic”? . 9 Leon A. Morris Halachah in Reform Theology from Leo Baeck to Eugene B . Borowitz: Authority, Autonomy, and Covenantal Commandments . 17 Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi The CCAR Responsa Committee: A History . 40 Joan S. Friedman Reform Halachah and the Claim of Authority: From Theory to Practice and Back Again . 54 Mark Washofsky Is a Reform Shulchan Aruch Possible? . 74 Alona Lisitsa An Evolving Israeli Reform Judaism: The Roles of Halachah and Civil Religion as Seen in the Writings of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism . 92 David Ellenson and Michael Rosen Aggadic Judaism . 113 Edwin Goldberg Spring 2020 i CONTENTS Talmudic Aggadah: Illustrations, Warnings, and Counterarguments to Halachah . 120 Amy Scheinerman Halachah for Hedgehogs: Legal Interpretivism and Reform Philosophy of Halachah . 140 Benjamin C. M. Gurin The Halachic Canon as Literature: Reading for Jewish Ideas and Values . 155 Alyssa M. Gray APPLIED HALACHAH Communal Halachic Decision-Making . 174 Erica Asch Growing More Than Vegetables: A Case Study in the Use of CCAR Responsa in Planting the Tri-Faith Community Garden . 186 Deana Sussman Berezin Yoga as a Jewish Worship Practice: Chukat Hagoyim or Spiritual Innovation? . 200 Liz P. G. Hirsch and Yael Rapport Nursing in Shul: A Halachically Informed Perspective . 208 Michal Loving Can We Say Mourner’s Kaddish in Cases of Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Nefel? . 215 Jeremy R. -
The Talmud in Tractate Rosh Hashana, Based on Expositions of The
yom kippur 5774 The Talmud in Tractate Rosh Hashana, based on expositions of the relevant verses, teaches us that there is an affirmative Mitzvah to eat and drink on the day prior to Yom Kippur until sunset, when the fast and the restrictions of the day begin. Indeed, the Talmud tells us that the reward for this feasting is equivalent to the reward for fasting on Yom Kippur itself. While it certainly is a wise practice for one who is about to commence a fast to fortify himself with food and drink, why does the Torah make it a special Mitzvah to do so? And why the great reward? Rabbi Yonah in his epic Mussar (Ethics) classic, Sharei Teshuva (4:8,9,10), provides a few reasons for this Mitzvah, two of which provide a particularly meaningful understanding of the Holiday. First, the feast before the fast recognizes the great opportunity Yom Kippur affords us to cleanse ourselves and draw ever closer to G-d. We effect a new reality for ourselves on Yom Kippur, one that anticipates and compels spiritual elevation. The feast before Yom Kippur is a celebration of this new reality and testifies to one’s longing to attain this additional intimacy. Second, it is critical that our inspirations not dissipate nor our commitments go unrealized. We need to conceive of strategies so that we do not fall prey as we have in the past and we must devise ways to ensure that our newly-inspired spiritual resolutions are actualized. This of course requires mental and physical energy. -
Labor Rights in the Jewish Tradition
LABOR RIGHTS IN THE JEWISH TRADITION Michael S. Perry Jewish Labor Committee □ 25 East 21 st Street □ New York, NY 10010 □ www.jewishlabor.org Michael S. Perry is Executive Director of the Jewish Labor Committee. © Jewish Labor Committee, 1993 2 Labor Rights in the Jewish Tradition I. Introduction The Jewish community in the United ory of an earlier period of mass Jewish im- ments relating to the hiring of workers are States has been supportive of worker and migration to the United States, when an imbued with respect for labor rights, and trade union rights for many years, even as it overwhelmingly immigrant community some Jewish religious laws anticipate cur- evolved from a predominantly working-class toiled in difficult and often desperate condi- rent secular labor law by thousands of community in the first part of the 20th cen- tions in the garment industry and other years. The following is a description of tury to a predominantly professional and trades. This support is also consistent with labor rights found in Jewish religious entrepreneurial-class community today. This Jewish religious law (“Halacha”). Both in sources and an analysis of current industrial support stems in part from a collective mem- spirit and in practice, religious command- relations issues in light of this tradition. II. Judaism and the Dignity of Labor Respect for the dignity of labor has The Talmudic ideal of work stood in This recognition of absolute Divine been an important theme in Jewish reli- sharp contrast to other views prevailing in ownership and of limited temporary gious writings for centuries. -
Hadran for Seder Nezikin with the Help of God Hadran for Seder Nezikin
Hadran for Seder Nezikin With the help of God Hadran for Seder Nezikin Based on an Oral Tradition Rebbe Nachman once said, "The world labors under the misconception that a tzaddik cannot make a mistake. I say this is not so. A tzaddik can make a mistake. The mistake remains a mistake and the tzaddik remains tzaddik." It is customary upon completion of learning a tractate of Talmud, or a seder (order) of Mishnah, to give a hadran to mark the occasion. (See below for a definition of hadran.) Having been blessed with the privilege of completing Seder Nezikin, I offer the following. Seder Nezikin, the fourth of the six orders of Mishnah, deals with Jewish jurisprudence. Tort law, property law, estate law, courts and justices, testimony, rendering decisions, administering sentences and ethics are some of the topics covered. The closing tractate, Horiyot, deals with the topic of rectifying judicial mistakes made by the king, the kohein gadol (high priest) or even of the entire Sanhedrin. Yes. Even the most learned of scholars, people of the most refined character and of genuine spirituality - 100% dyed-in-the-wool tzaddikim - can make mistakes. Not only simple, personal mistakes, but even mistakes that affect the entire Jewish people, even mistakes of heresy (1:5). The mistakes remain mistakes and they remain tzaddikim. It's not the end of the world. A mistake can be forgiven. We learn in Horiyot that the mistakes of the king, kohein gadol and Sanhedrin were forgiven and rectified by offering a sacrifice in the Beit Hamikdash (Temple). -
Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach Today (?)
Daf Ditty Pesachim 78: Korban Pesach today (?) Three girls in Israel were detained by the Israeli Police (2018). The girls are activists of the “Return to the Mount” (Chozrim Lahar) movement. Why were they detained? They had posted Arabic signs in the Muslim Quarter calling upon Muslims to leave the Temple Mount area until Friday night, in order to allow Jews to bring the Korban Pesach. This is the fourth time that activists of the movement will come to the Old City on Erev Pesach with goats that they plan to bring as the Korban Pesach. There is also an organization called the Temple Institute that actively is trying to bring back the Korban Pesach. It is, of course, very controversial and the issues lie at the heart of one of the most fascinating halachic debates in the past two centuries. 1 The previous mishnah was concerned with the offering of the paschal lamb when the people who were to slaughter it and/or eat it were in a state of ritual impurity. Our present mishnah is concerned with a paschal lamb which itself becomes ritually impure. Such a lamb may not be eaten. (However, we learned incidentally in our study of 5:3 that the blood that gushed from the lamb's throat at the moment of slaughter was collected in a bowl by an attendant priest and passed down the line so that it could be sprinkled on the altar). Our mishnah states that if the carcass became ritually defiled, even if the internal organs that were to be burned on the altar were intact and usable the animal was an invalid sacrifice, it could not be served at the Seder and the blood should not be sprinkled.